Jobsbridge Resources

Ring…rinnggg…rinnnggg…
The alarm is ringing. It’s 7:30 am and you have to get up and get ready for work on Monday morning. But you can barely drag yourself out of bed. You wish the weekend to last for another day so that you could keep your commitments at bay for a little longer. You push the snooze button yet again as you cover yourself with your blanket.
Does the above experience sound familiar? If it does, you are probably suffering from Monday morning blues. But there is nothing to dread. Almost everybody has had it. Mondays are annoying for many of us. We are reluctant to go to work and wish if we could have more time to relax.
Alas, Monday morning comes every week and there is no way of skipping it!
The key to beating Monday morning blues lies in organizing your work. We tend to accomplish lot more on our weekends than we can actually do — the result is we over-plan and underachieve. With proper organization of your work you can relax more, complete more task and spent more time with family and friends.
Here are few easy and effective ways to break your Monday Blues in a flash!

Prepare for your weekend

• Plan your weekend well ahead. Be realistic and do not over plan.
• Prepare a to-do list for your weekend so that you don’t miss out on anything.
• To enjoy a stress free Sunday complete all your chores on Saturday and plan some entertainment and fun activities. Spend time with family and friends and spend some time on exercise.
• Fill your week with some fun activities so that end of weekend does not feel like end of world.

Sleep well to reduce stress

• Never compromise with your minimal daily requirements for healthy living: sufficient sleep, healthy food, and exercise.
• Adhere to your normal sleeping time. During weekend we go to bed late and wake up late. This out-of-rhythm sleep disrupts the internal clock of our body as we find it difficult to wake up on Monday morning.
• If you can, try taking little naps in between your work to keep yourself energized. However, try not to nap on Sunday afternoon or you will not be able to sleep early and prevent drowsiness on Monday afternoon.

Drain out the negative energy

• Exercise is probably the last thing that you would do on a Monday morning but trust me it is actually a great way to start to start the week. Exercise for half an hour in the morning will get your blood pumping, release the feel-good endorphins and expel the negative energies out of your body. Not only will this give your body a physical boost but also make your brain more alert and ready for work.
• Get out in the sunlight. Bright light refreshes your body and helps you reset your internal clock. Ensure that your work area is brightly illuminated and has lighter shades of color on the wall as these increases the brightness and makes the workplace look spacious.
• Wear clothes which makes you feel confidant, comfortable and happy. Dress to look best on Mondays.
• On top of all, change your attitude towards Mondays. Perceiving Mondays in a negative light will not help in anyway. Look at it as a great beginning to start a new week.

Ease out a bit

• After a couple of days off you may not feel like doing some complicated work on Monday morning. So, start with that kind of work which you enjoy to do. Loosen up a bit. Drink some coffee and catch up with friends to remind you that work isn’t so bad.
• Avoid negative interactions that may ruin your mood at the beginning of the workweek. Experiencing positive interactions will make you feel good about yourself and your work.
• A bad traffic can ruin the rest of the day. Start from home early to beat the traffic and listen to good music during your drive to work to soothe yourself.

Because Monday mornings cannot be avoided, you should get used to it. Change your attitude and start looking at the Mondays as a great start for another exciting week. If none of the above tips help you to beat the blues then consider a change in career. A more satisfying job can help you cope up with the Monday morning blues. A new job, new responsibilities, new people, new workplace may do the trick.

The Great Depressions, by far was the biggest economic downturn of the 21st century. Jobs were gone overnight. Banks ruined. Companies became bankrupt. Stock market plunged. Entire economic system paralyzed. Life for many was never the same.

The aftermath of the Depression in 1930 was that people stopped trusting the bank and started saving money for the future. Then the economy again picked up. The industry was at once rewarding, innovative, and frustrating. Then the recession again struck the market. A situation like this floods your mind with questions like: Is your industry strong enough to emerge from recession? Will your company be able to make up for the losses? Is your job recession proof and should you stick on to it?

Every cloud has a silver lining. Even in gloom and doom people and organizations are finding their way out. As the market is recovering from recession we are seeing a sea of change in the financial psychology worldwide. People are saving and keeping a close watch on the market. Many became risk-averse and are refusing debt.
The worst times are the best teachers and teach us things in the oddest of ways. Take advantage of this tough experience. Now is the time to reevaluate your career and the future of your industry, your company, your job, and your skills.

Be frugal and save for tomorrow

This recession has taught everyone to be penny-pinching. Focus is now not on what to buy but how to save. Layoffs has given the idea to people that spending more than they can earn is not smart as everything can be snatched away overnight. If you are lucky enough not to be hit by layoff, yet chances of escaping the pay-cuts was thin. Hence, all these point towards only one thing that saving and spending smartly is wise. This is the high time to realize the importance of living below your means and putting some money in the bank for emergencies.

Acknowledge the power of change

Change is the integral part of business. Modification of policies and compliance are the biggest challenge for any company. Many organizations are realizing that adherence to policies was missing. There were not much loopholes in the policies and procedures but in its compliance. Hence stricter enforcement has become imperative. Moreover, the business model which has made the company successful so far does not guarantee a steady success in future. However this fear should not be so great that the companies go into survival mode. Reassessing policies and business model and improvising on them for a better future is the responsibility of all organization.

People are looking for job opening and willing to change their career. Thus to retain employees organizations has to restructure their HR policies and work on upgrading their skill-sets. Thus when confronted with change a wise person should think about the desired outcome and figure out strategies ways to reach it. Even when a job seeker needs to change in career, lots of research and planning is required. Check out the pros and cons of the new industry and the embrace change.

Take calculated risk

When it comes to money, after recession nobody wants to be a risk taker and is suspicious of any kind of investments. But playing it safe without trying more prospective options is a risk not worth taking. Taking no risk is worse than taking any risk. Instead of hiding from risk it is better to understand and learn to manage them. As the saying goes don’t put all your eggs in one basket, hence, look for additional income-generating opportunities and invest accordingly.

Plan for the road ahead

No point for guessing that poor planning led to the dilapidated financial conditions of many in the recession. With proper planning such situations can be avoided in future. However, when it comes to finance planning people find it hard to seek out assistance. There is no shame in asking for help when you are in need of it. A good planner will educate you about the hazards and rewards involved with investing. But you should also figure out where you are and where you want to be and plan accordingly.

It was all about business

When the economy was staggering, creditors and lenders started showing their true colors. Interest rates were raised and credit limits were reduced. People were shocked to learn that creditors and lenders meant only business and no sympathy was extended. Even people with excellent credit limit were hit and lenders are not extra careful about confirming creditworthiness. Some important lessons learnt here are:

• Just because a lender approves your loan doesn’t mean that you can afford to pay it back. You should know your limit and borrow accordingly.
• Learn to manage your finances. Keep an eye on your expenses and take responsibility of your expenses and try to pay it off as soon as possible.
• Prioritize debt, start from paying off your highest interest rate first.

This too shall pass

Trust me, the nation has seen tough economic times before and has emerged successfully from it. This time too it will survive. The economy will change and will open the door for new opportunities.

In the difficult times, the companies have lowered their budgets and worked within the limited means yet they survived by re-planning and not compromising on the training and development. On the individual level, proper financial and debt management helped many to sail through this recession and avoid crisis. But in such a climate, there is a lot that can be learned. Lessons from past will help anyone to resurface from recession.

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
— Robert F. Kennedy
The present business scenario calls for leaders who can make quick decisions. In this fast paced era where everyone is competing hard to stay on top, any delay in decision making may lead to losing a prospect. Thus taking risk has become an integral part of business. Taking risks to make sound professional judgment demonstrates strong leadership abilities and implies that you have all it takes to handle more interesting, challenging work.
The word risk has hint of negativity to it — it implies a source of danger; a possibility of loss, damage or misfortune, as a result of which most people are afraid of taking risks as they are reluctant to afford any loss. However risk has a positive side too: the chance of hitting a big win. Although, there always lies a fear of failure yet possibilities of personal growth, increased confidence, and higher visibility are few of the outcomes. Being worried of taking risks is okay, however to completely refrain yourself from taking risk is a bad idea. If you take a close look at the career of the most successful people in the world, you will clearly find that they all are risk takers.
Not taking chances and playing it safe always may not be as safe as it seems. If you don’t risk it, you don’t get the chance of making it big. However, not all risks are worth taking. Some risks are just dumb and suicidal where as others are intelligent. Risks, where the expected payoff is negative, should never be taken. Hence the two types of risks are:

1. Calculated and planned risk – Intelligent Risk
2. Unprofessional and impractical risks – Dumb Risk

Often an intelligent risk brings new opportunities. If you find discomfort and hesitant in doing something beyond your comfort zone, congratulations! This means a new opportunity is around the corner. The key to take intelligent risk is to think way ahead. When you think in long-term, your find your failures’ being outnumbered by your successes and this keeps you from getting discouraged.
Through intelligent risks you can improve your performance and excel in your career. Here is how…

Find out the odds

Take a good look at your career and decide what you really want. Do you want to advance in your current organization? Do you want to move to another organization, either in a lateral move or to a more senior position? Or would you like a different type of role, such as running a business unit?
Find out where you stand in your career and what you have to lose or gain if you take risk. Carefully analyze the impact of the risk on your career. By taking a risk how will demonstrate your leadership skills or professional judgment? If you look at a risk as if your entire career depends on it then the nervousness will not let you proceed. However, if you approach it as a step to fulfill your career goal in the long run then you will not find it so risky.

Overcome fears

You can add value to your business by taking calculated intelligent risks that pays off. Being skeptical about risk is a natural phenomena but holding yourself back due to the fear of risk is not wise and will not let you propel in your career. Hence instead of fearing the risk concentrate on analyzing it.

Roll the dice

After much thinking and calculations you finally decide to leave your comfort zone. Now what? Just take the plunge. No risk is right or wrong in and of itself. The key lies in judging a situation, determining intelligent risks and taking them provide an evidence of strong leadership abilities and sound judgment. If for some reason, it doesn’t work out the way it should have been then learn from your misjudgment and try to be more reasonable next time.

Change is good

Taking intelligent risks involves accepting change and trusting the unknown. Thus, to be a good risk taker and eventually improve your performance you must readily adapt to the changing environment. In the contemporary world of business, success strategies changes regularly. If you are reluctant to embrace the change you may fall back in the race to stay on top. The idea is to take risk and accept change. Sticking to your old strategies may prove to be a hindrance in showcasing your talent.

Reap the benefits

Taking intelligent risks has direct impact on performance improvement. The ability to take risks demonstrates strong leadership qualities. If the risk taken turns out to be a successful endeavor then you would achieve your desired result without much difficulty.
Given below is the list of some of the risks which are not worth taking. Avoid making these as they could be suicidal to your career.

1. Sticking on to the job despite the fact that you hate it. Staying unhappy on a job lowers your productivity and hampers performance. Moreover, if you want to quit, leave on friendly terms. Screaming and complaining on your way out is not worth it.
2. Not doing your homework properly before taking the plunge. Without proper analysis a decision which looks lucrative and foolproof may turn out to be disaster. Don’t assume that you know it all you need to. There is no harm in recalculating your chances and confirming your decision.
3. Losing visibility. Stay in spotlight and keep yourself well informed of your company’s policies, procedures, stability, business strategies and business endeavors. Shrinking to the background will make you invisible may result in you not being credited for your efforts.
4. Avoiding challenges and added responsibilities. Seek out challenges and accept responsibilities. However, not all responsibilities are worth taking. Accept a responsibility only if you are sure that it will earn you recognition. Weigh your options before you opt for it.
5. Tampering the truth. If you are caught you will be fired. Be a straight shooter and keep your career safe.